You can reduce many of Donald Trump’s words and actions as president of the United States to his pursuit of two objectives: to project personal strength and to direct the public’s attention to where he wants it. Trump’s fury toward Canada for an ad critical of his tariffs can be attributed to his failure to appear strong or to effectively dictate what people pay attention to.
The advertisement, funded by the Canadian province of Ontario, features audio of former President Ronald Reagan who says that “over the long run, such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer,” and that “the way to prosperity for all nations is rejecting protectionist legislation and promoting fair and free competition.”
That argument for free trade comes from Reagan’s “Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade,” which he gave on April 25, 1987.
That argument for free trade comes from Reagan’s “Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade,” which he gave on April 25, 1987, ahead of a White House visit with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone. Reagan, as he put it, had “placed new duties on some Japanese products in response to Japan’s inability to enforce their trade agreement with us on electronic devices called semiconductors,” and he was explaining why it was “a special case,” given that he said “imposing such tariffs or trade barriers and restrictions of any kind are steps that I am loath to take.”
Trump, obviously, isn’t loath to take such steps but has gleefully championed tariffs. But Reagan argued that, in general, when someone imposes tariffs, it may look like “they’re doing the patriotic thing by protecting American products and jobs,” but an end result is that “Markets shrink and collapse; businesses and industries shut down; and millions of people lose their jobs.”
On Truth Social on Thursday, Trump falsely described the advertisement as “FAKE” and declared “ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.” Much to the president’s vexation however, the ad nonetheless aired on televisions across the U.S. during Friday’s World Series matchup between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The next day, Trump once again took to social media to announce his retaliation: a 10% increase on tariffs on Canadian imports. He did not specify if this increase applies specifically to the 35% tariffs he put in place in August on goods not included in the USMCA or the 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum imported from any country.
But not even that stopped the ad from airing twice more. It was finally pulled on Monday.
Ontario’s advertisement triggered anger from Trump because it exposed the flawed thinking behind his push for tariffs for his own constituents to see. Reagan is the president Republicans have had the most reverence for — at least before Trump. Thus, quoting him is a way for Ontario to say that they’re not alone in opposing tariffs. No less a figure than Reagan said they hurt American workers and consumers.
Again, those quotes from Reagan are taken from an ad in which he’s attempting to explain an instance that he thought tariffs were justified, but that doesn’t make the ad “FAKE,” as Trump claimed it was.
The ad airing twice after Trump objected to it challenges Trump’s fantasies of himself as a strongman. And the ad finally being pulled will do little to suppress public discourse about the harmful effects of tariffs. That’s a point Ontario Premier Doug Ford shrewdly emphasized to reporters on Monday.
We achieved our goal. They’re talking about it in the U.S., and they weren’t talking about it before I put the ad on. I’m glad that Ronald Reagan was a free trader.
“We achieved our goal,” said Ford. “They’re talking about it in the U.S., and they weren’t talking about it before I put the ad on. I’m glad that Ronald Reagan was a free trader.”
Trump’s instinctive attempt to strong-arm his Canadian counterparts into pulling the ad was really an effort to quell criticism of his destructive trade policies. However, his public threats against the U.S.’ neighbors have now done precisely the opposite: They’ve drawn more attention to Reagan’s warnings about the repercussions of the tariffs the president is so keen to impose.
So often, Trump has successfully exploited opportunities to point the public’s gaze away from unflattering press. Take for instance, his deployment of the National Guard to California merely two days after an explosive falling out with his formerly devout ally Elon Musk or his scheduling a military parade on the exact same day as millions participated in “No Kings” protests across the country. Much of Trump’s political ascendancy derives from his ability to dictate where those in his base, and even many in opposing camps, shift their focus.
But not this time. Trump seemed to believe he could spin his retaliation against Canada into a favorable narrative. Instead, he played right into their hands.